One Great Song On a Crap Album

[Jones]

I'm just thinning my physical record collection, loading up the songs I like onto iTunes and then hawking the disc. (Do people buy used c.d.'s anymore?) In so doing, I'm realizing that some songs I really, really like are lost in the middle of otherwise forgettable pieces of ****.

This is different from the classic definition of a one-hit wonder; maybe it's just one bad album in a band's otherwise stellar career, but at least they got it right for one three-minute slice.

For instance, I'm currently listening to the bells come in at the end of "Maria" by Blondie. It's a fantastic song, perfect ear candy, but it's track 3 on "No Exit," the aural equivalent of a strap-on *****, especially when Debbie Harry raps.

Next up, "Work for Food," track 2 on Dramarama's kinda lame "Hi-Fi Sci-Fi."

Followed by "Camera One," track 5 on the Josh Joplin's Group "Useful Music," a totally false title.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I have at least 50 albums that I bought on the strength of one song only to discover the flood of dreck waiting beneath.
I'll get back to you on this, Jonesy.

 

[BBJones]

Wow, Jones. You bought those albums? Wow. Maybe I'm better off at my paltry salary. At least my CD rack has less clutter.

 

[Jones]

BB, my brother, in my defense, Blondie and dramarama were graft. But I did buy the Josh Joplin one. ****ing terrible. Although I really like "Camera One," especially the chick's background vocal, "You're playing you now." I can remember the first time I heard it, driving -- and dammit, songs always sound better in the car or on a plane -- the radio announced who did it, and I pulled into the store and bought it, all within ten minutes.

Sometimes I can be rash.

 

[Diabeetus]

I'm glad others liked the JJ Group's song, but I just downloaded it back in the day

 

[Jones]

It's getting worse. Man, I have some bad taste.

"So Sad to Say" off The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's "Pay Attention."

"Teenage Dirtbag" off Wheatus's self-titled pile of manure. (I think this might quality as a traditional one-hit wonder.)

And I'm going to turn in my man card after loading up "The Dresses Song" by Lisa Germano ("Happiness"). I'm not sure this one counts even as a one-hit wonder.

Note to self: No more falling in love with a song whilst high and then buying the record whilst not.

 

[Jack_Kerouac]

And I'm going to turn in my man card after loading up "The Dresses Song" by Lisa Germano ("Happiness"). I'm not sure this one counts even as a one-hit wonder.

I'm proud of you for voluntarily turning in your man card, but I'm going to cancel my Esquire subscription in protest, too. That's just sad, dude!

 

[BBJones]

Note to self: No more falling in love with a song whilst high and then buying the record whilst not.

The other way around would be perfectly acceptable, it should be noted.

 

[Jones]

Today has not been a good day for my pride.

 

[Jones]

See, now here's a couple of interesting cases, at least to me, at least on this freezing cold and prideless Saturday.

Therapy? was a much-hyped Irish (I think) metal band, featured in Spin all the time. I think it's probably still okay to like them. I bought all of their records like I should have in my efforts to be a cutting edge college radio guy, but the fact is, I don't like them much. I just ripped "Gone" off "Nurse," which as far as I remember is a classic in the genre, but that's the only nugget I can mine from it.

Same with Dinosaur Jr.'s "Bug" album -- SST Records, 1988, totally legitimate pedigree. But if I'm being honest, I like "The Post" and not much else.

Not coincidentally, I have several dozens discs currently available in a box at my front door, cheap.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Same with Dinosaur Jr.'s "Bug" album -- SST Records, 1988, totally legitimate pedigree. But if I'm being honest, I like "The Post" and not much else.

In a similar vein....I'm a diehard Dinosaur Jr. fan, but the only decent song on "Hand it Over" is "I'm Insane".

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

BB, my brother, in my defense, Blondie and dramarama were graft. But I did buy the Josh Joplin one. ****ing terrible. Although I really like "Camera One," especially the chick's background vocal, "You're playing you now." I can remember the first time I heard it, driving -- and dammit, songs always sound better in the car or on a plane -- the radio announced who did it, and I pulled into the store and bought it, all within ten minutes.

Sometimes I can be blind ****faced drunk.

Fixed.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

"This is England" - on The Clash's 1985 trainwreck Cut the Crap

 

[old_tony]

I believe the song "What's Up" by 4 non blondes captures this thread perfectly. The rest of the album? I couldn't even listen to it.

 

[Bob Cook]

"Beats So Lonely," by Charlie Sexton, good song on a ghastly awful, extremely hyped debut.

 

[Bob Cook]

I just heard Liz Phair's "Supernova" on the radio. The only decent song off her spectacularly crappy second album.

 

[Flash]

I bought Finger Eleven's debut for One Thing. And that is all that's on their debut effort.

Have to respectfully disagree on Charle Sexton's debut, though. I wore out two cassette tapes of that one.

 

[Bullrog]

I bought Finger Eleven's debut for One Thing. And that is all that's on their debut effort.

Wasn't their debut.
They had two albums before that and have gotten progressively worse on each one.

Saw them in '01 play in Spartanburg to about 50 people when they only had their first two albums out - absolutely unbelievable performance.
Now I wouldn't go see them if you paid me to.